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<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/704-rachel-dunne" title="Rachel Dunne" aria-label="Rachel Dunne"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/354_25f3d785419f0eb611f94ba17fd1703d_f1833.rev.1500386495.jpg" alt="Rachel Dunne" title="Rachel Dunne" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="690" data-max-h="390"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/704-rachel-dunne"><p> Rachel Dunne Finds Unlikely Path in Alaska </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> When Rachel Dunne (’04) was a student at E&H, she pretty much set the woods on fire. Lately, she’s been busy putting out fires. This is truly a young woman who knows how to fire up a Liberal Arts degree. </p><p> This is all a corny way of saying that Rachel has been fighting wildland fires in Alaska.</p><p> A double major in Public Policy & Community Service and Psychology, Rachel was a top notch student with a heart intent on making a difference. And it comes as no surprise that she is finding such a creative means of making her way in the world. She wanted to pursue work in the area of disaster relief response after graduate school, but needed job experience. She spent 10 months in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps doing a lot of work in the Gulf region of the U.S. working on Katrina recovery efforts. She also got sent to a very small town in Arizona where her team was assigned to assistance with brush clearing to prevent wildfires. Her superiors suggested she come back after AmeriCorps for a job.</p><p> While she only intended to do the job for a year, she stayed for two and a half years honing her skills not only in firefighting and prevention but also in coordinating fire response, GIS, HAZMAT, EMT, and learned how to drive a water tender (please Google this to see how impressive this feat is).</p><p> After Arizona she found an opportunity to continue this good work and to see some of the country’s most beautiful land. She considered Big Sky country, but ended up in Alaska because of their unique challenges in fire logistics. She served as a fire logistics dispatcher for the Alaska Fire Service, which is part of the Bureau of Land Management. In this role, she helped get the people, supplies, and aircraft out to remote areas of Alaska for wildland fires.</p><p> As is wont to happen, while in Alaska, Rachel ran smack into another Emory & Henry person! Daniel Griggs (’07) was there doing similar work and putting his geography background to good use. Giving Dr. John Morgan all the credit for getting him the right start, Daniel says he finds working for the fire service very “real” in the sense that there is “immediate need for accurate geospatial information.” He ended up in Alaska because he had always wanted to visit the state, so when he got a job offer in Anchorage he jumped at the chance.</p><p> Rachel says folks in her position work seasonally—putting in 6 months of work and then filling the other half of the year with school, other work, travel, or personal projects and hobbies. While the job sounds pretty cushy, it turns out those six months are pretty demanding. On a fire assignment, dispatchers and firefighters alike usually work 14 straight days of up to 16 hour shifts. In many ways, it’s more of a lifestyle than a job.</p><p> So what happens during those long days? This season, Daniel got sent out to the field as a GIS specialist, providing custom real-time maps of fires for the incident decision-makers. Rachel moved to another dispatch center as an aircraft dispatcher, where she finds the helicopters and planes that support both fires and scientists in interior Alaska and the lower 48. “It’s not every day you get to say, ‘Yeah, I ordered a jumbo jet at work today’,” says Rachel. “The best part of the job is the constant challenge—you never know who is going to call or what they are going to need, and it’s great to be able to say, ‘Sure, I can make that happen,’ even when it means getting people or supplies into parts of Alaska your average tourist will never even think about visiting.”</p><p> With these new job demands, Rachel is less “fire fighter” and more “travel agent” – booking flights into all corners of the state. Whether they are VIPs touring Alaska before making recommendations on energy or land management policy, scientists researching animal habitats and archeological sites, or firefighters protecting Alaska’s assets, everybody knows they’ll have to fly to get to their Alaskan destination. “I may miss the smell of smoke and getting to do things with my own hands, but what I can do with a phone and a radio allows those professionals to make the difference, and I’m proud to be part of their support network.”</p><p> While Daniel will stay on with Alaska Fire Service in Fairbanks for the near future, Rachel plans to move on after this season ends. “What’s next? I don’t know, but if you’d told me I was going to be a firefighter or live in Alaska while I was at Emory, I’d have laughed. I just keep believing in the hope that people can do amazing things when we are willing to take on a challenge, even if it means leaving our comfort zones behind.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/704-rachel-dunne" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/16-hannah-taylor" title="Hannah Taylor" aria-label="Hannah Taylor"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/25_3352ba2f2869555aca164cdd562e5444_f47341.rev.1490710878.jpg" alt="Hannah Taylor" title="Hannah Taylor" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/25_3352ba2f2869555aca164cdd562e5444_f47341.rev.1490710878.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="666"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/16-hannah-taylor"><p> Hannah Taylor (’15) Exploring Gender Stereotypes</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Hannah Taylor, a member of the E&H Class of 2015 from Atkins, Va. majors in psychology. Using her pet rabbit in an animal therapy program she seeks to help mentally challenged individuals and residents of nursing homes.</p><p> “They love getting to see him (the rabbit), and it warms my heart to see their reactions and how much they enjoy visiting with him. This is one of my passions, because it amazes me how people can connect with animals, and he is always able to put a smile on their face, even if they are having a bad day.”</p><p> Hannah Taylor, a member of the E&H Class of 2015 from Atkins, Va. majors in psychology. Using her pet rabbit in an animal therapy program she seeks to help mentally challenged individuals and residents of nursing homes. “They love getting to see him (the rabbit), and it warms my heart to see their reactions and how much they enjoy visiting with him. This is one of my passions, because it amazes me how people can connect with animals, and he is always able to put a smile on their face, even if they are having a bad day.”</p><p> Taylor says about Emory & Henry: “Emory & Henry is known for its quality education, which is ranked nationally, and when you attend Emory, you know you are getting a great education that you will always take with you. The professors at Emory are also ranked nationally; they do not hand you anything, you really have to earn it. With that being said, even though the professors are tough, they are always there for you and to help you in anyway they can. When you graduate from Emory & Henry College, it is something you can be proud of because you know you have worked very hard for your degree and your achievements. “</p><p> As a student at Emory & Henry, Taylor is currently completing her second internship through Abingdon Health and Rehabilitation in occupational therapy. Her first internship was completed last fall with Highlands Community Services at the Stepping Stones location where she worked primarily with bipolar and schizophrenic individuals. Last spring, Taylor and fellow classmate, Amy Wilson, completed a research project involving gender stereotypes and careers. Although the research did not bear significant findings, Taylor plans to expand her sample group and explore a wider range of demographics.</p><blockquote> Emory & Henry inspired me to become a psychology major, and I am very thankful for that. I love it, and couldn’t imagine majoring in anything else. Emory & Henry also has helped me gain professional contacts through internships. Being able to go out and intern at a future place of work is amazing; you are able to gain valuable experience while getting class credit. It has been an amazing experience for me, and I will always be thankful for it.</blockquote></div><a href="/live/profiles/16-hannah-taylor" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/713-kallie-scott-metz" title="Kallie Scott Metz" aria-label="Kallie Scott Metz"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,100,157/363_KallieScott.rev.1500390114.png" alt="Kallie Scott Metz" title="Kallie Scott Metz" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="100" data-max-h="157"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/713-kallie-scott-metz"><p> Aspiring to make a difference through medicine, Kallie is driven and devoted to serve.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div class="sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html" data-block-type="2" id="block-yui_3_17_2_3_1428668727508_105892"><div class="sqs-block-content"><p> </p><p> “Ut prosim” (that I may serve) has been Kallie’s life motto as long as she could remember and has been a driving force in her academic and career goals. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology on the Pre–Med track, she is currently attending the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University to pursue a M.D. She said, “I chose to pursue a [undergraduate] degree in behavioral science because I enjoyed the humanistic approach that it provided to my medical interests—fulfilling my desire to understand both the personal/psychological and healthcare needs of my future patients.” Kallie’s passion for patient care can be seen in her Honors thesis research on the “Presentation of Disease Information in Genetic Testing,” which examines the “effects of disease information presentation, specifically treatability and genetic predictability information, on patients’ decision–making in determining whether or not to receive the results of incidental findings from new–generation genomic testing.” </p><p> During her time at Emory & Henry, Kallie served as both a Resident Advisor and Head Resident Advisor in campus housing and as president of the Residence Hall Association. In addition, she was involved in multiple national honors societies including Psi Chi, Cardinal Key, and Phi Eta Sigma. As a member of the Psi Chi Psychology National Honors Society, she presented some of her research at the SEPA Annual Conference in 2014 and was one of sixteen projects to be awarded a Psi Chi Regional Research Award. During what little free time she has, Kallie says she enjoys all things related to summer—afternoon thunderstorms, beach trips, cookouts, fireflies, hammock reading/napping, family get–togethers, traveling, and roller coasters. </p></div></div><div class="row sqs-row" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500390121633_126"><div class="col sqs-col-5 span-5" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500390121633_125"><div class="sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready" data-aspect-ratio="74.14248021108179" data-block-type="5" id="block-yui_3_17_2_3_1428668727508_46964"><div class="sqs-block-content" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500390121633_124"><div class="image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline sqs-narrow-width" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500390121633_123"><div class="intrinsic" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500390121633_122"><div class="image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio" data-description="pKallie presents her Honors thesis findings on the “Presentation of Disease Information in Genetic Testing.”/p" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1500390121633_121"/><div class="image-caption-wrapper"><div class="image-caption"/></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="col sqs-col-5 span-5"><div class="sqs-block quote-block sqs-block-quote" data-block-type="31" id="block-yui_3_17_2_3_1428668727508_45262"><div class="sqs-block-content"><figure><blockquote> “At the end of my life I want to be able to say I’ve made a difference in the world through the impact I’ve had on those around me.…Medicine is the avenue through which I hope to make my mark on the world. </blockquote>— Kallie Scott ’15 </figure></div></div></div></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/713-kallie-scott-metz" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/10-amy-wilson" title="Amy Wilson" aria-label="Amy Wilson"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/21_2ed779ef8089b2b1801d335b403ef780_f50121.rev.1490707464.jpg" alt="Amy Wilson" title="Amy Wilson" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/21_2ed779ef8089b2b1801d335b403ef780_f50121.rev.1490707464.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="666"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/10-amy-wilson"><p> Amy Wilson (’15) is Changing Negative Perceptions </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> As a student at Emory & Henry, Amy has completed two internships in physical therapy. The first was a 120-hour internship at Cornerstone Therapy & Balance, where she shadowed both physical therapists and physical therapy assistants in an outpatient setting. The second was at Abingdon Health & Rehabilitation, where she has worked with the elderly in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. By engaging in these practical settings with patients, she hopes to not only assist them with their physical ailments but also, through research and a closer connection to patients, help them overcome negative perceptions that arise from those ailments.</p><blockquote><p> “Emory & Henry has helped me realize what my dreams are and what I need to do to accomplish them. It has helped my confidence and made me realize things about myself that I did not know before. It has pushed me outside my comfort zone too many times to count and that is exactly what I needed.”<br/> Amy Wilson<br/> Class of 2015, Emory & Henry College </p></blockquote><p> “Being at E&H has helped me pursue my dream of being a physical therapist that makes a real difference in people’s lives. That is the reason I decided to become a student here. I have met so many great instructors who are devoted to helping me and are so knowledgeable and passionate about their jobs.” </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/10-amy-wilson" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/15-amanda-hiner" title="Amanda Hiner" aria-label="Amanda Hiner"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/24_ea19d44a6bf88b46d88fde159122f0ab_f47331.rev.1490710675.jpg" alt="Amanda Hiner" title="Amanda Hiner" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/24_ea19d44a6bf88b46d88fde159122f0ab_f47331.rev.1490710675.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="666"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/15-amanda-hiner"><p> Amanda Hiner (’15) Completes Research on Alcohol & First Year Students</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> As a student at Emory & Henry, Hiner has completed research on the impact of alcohol use on academic performance of first-year college students. Joined by another student, Elizabeth Scales, she also explores the alcohol use as it relates to socialization. Although their results did not reveal a relationship between academic performance and alcohol consumption, there was a significant correlation between a students need to belong and alcohol consumption.</p><p> Hiner is also conducting research on the relationship between weight perception and suicidal ideation in adolescents. Her findings have shown that compensatory eating behaviors, such as laxative use, vomiting and extreme calorie restriction, are better predictors of suicidal attempts than weight perception alone. The research will be presented at the 2015 annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association at Hilton Head, SC.</p><p> Hiner is currently completing an internship at Mount Rogers Community Service in Marion, Va. under the supervision of Dr. R. Christopher Qualls.</p><p> Ultimately Hiner hopes to help alter perceptions of mental illnesses through her research and internships.</p><blockquote> There is no way I could thank Emory & Henry enough for how much it has done for me. I have been offered so many amazing opportunities, because E&H professors want the best for all of their students. I don’t believe I would have had a fighting chance off of this campus, professionally or in furthering my education, without this institution’s dedicated professors. – Amanda Hiner</blockquote></div><a href="/live/profiles/15-amanda-hiner" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>